Lost and Rebirth

“HA! Me? You really have lost your mind. Are you still dehydrated or something? Feel uneasy or anything? Because your story is crack! Things don’t lurk in the dark. Sick, distorted people do, Nick, not monsters. Don’t look at me like that!” I was shouting. He was looking at me as if I was the lunatic. I wanted out of here. I want my old life, my old apartment, my sanity. That is all out the window now.

“Vanessa, where are your bruises and cuts from last night? I still have mine,” he said quietly. He lifted his shirt to reveal the dark bruises on his ribs and rolled the sleeves up to show the cuts on his arms. They were horrible looking. We had really gone at it last night; we each broke two sticks over each other, which just the worst, leaving cuts. I didn’t have any. I looked away. “Didn’t think you did.”

“Shut up! It’s not true. It can’t be. If there was ‘something’,” putting it in air quotes, “at the store, why come out in public? Why not show up here?”

“They can take over bodies. Ever heard of possessions? Some demons like to make it known that they can do it, so they make their victims insane. Others use the bodies as hosts to do their bidding.”

“Aren’t demons supposed to be these distorted, malicious figures?”

“They are malicious but not in appearance. Some do make their disgusting creatures to taunt people.”

“Okay, saying that this is true, how do the demons get inside of people?” I was becoming disgusted with the idea of all this, but I couldn’t help but edge it on. I was becoming engrossed by it.

“They are much like spirits; they just enter. I know that sounds stupid, but that is how it works.”

“It does sound stupid, and that is why I do no believe you.” But something did inside me. It knew that Nick was telling truth about everything- about the demons, evil, me being the one. I didn’t want to though. It all seems preposterous. People end up in insane asylums for this kind of thinking.

“Do you believe in God and heaven?” Nick asked abruptly.

“Yeah, of course,” I said, not seeing where this conversation was going.

“Then why can’t you believe in evil. There is a balance the world has. A balance of good an evil. If you believe in good, then you have to be believe in its counterpart.”

“But…” I resigned. I put my head on the table and cried. Then something unexpected happened: Nick put his arm around my shoulders and comforted me. I didn’t know he could show any sign of affection. “Thanks,” I sniffed.

“I’m sorry, but you needed to know,” he sympathized.

“I know, but it still sounds stupid,” I gave up and went upstairs to a refreshing shower.

When I stepped out, into my room, I saw a note on my bed. I walked to my bed, still in a towel, and picked it up. It from Nick:
[font= Segoe Script]

Vanessa,
Come downstairs after you get dressed. We’re going out. I have laid out a dress for you. I hope you like it. I hope you have shoes to wear; I didn’t know your shoe size, sorry. Hurry up.
-Nick

I looked over to the dress that had been placed on the edge of the bed on the other side of the note. I touched it. It felt nice in-between my fingers. It was silky. I quickly blow-dried my hair and applied black eyeliner thinly. I dress danced over my skin. I rummaged the closet for any shoes that he might have grabbed form my apartment. I found a pair of black flats the I quickly put on. I glanced in the mirror one last time and brushed my hair down, frizzes everywhere.

I was walking down the stairs when I noticed Nick. He was wearing black slacks with a medium blue shirt and a black jacket. He looked gorgeous. Both of our eyes widened at the sight of each other. I looked away, embarrassed. When I looked back up, he had just turned his up too. He must have done the same thing. I finished walking down the stairs and ambled over to Nick. He put out his arm fro me to take, and of course, I did.

He didn’t blindfold me this time as we walked out the house. This surprised me, but I guess he didn’t want to upset me even more. We still hadn’t said anything. We were in the car and curiosity burned me. By the looks of it, he wasn’t going to give up any information on his own. I didn’t want to break the comfortable silence either, though. I finally cracked when he pulled out the driveway. I didn’t stand well against curiosity.

“Where are we going?” I blurted.

He laugh, “I was wondering when you were going to break. You didn’t disappoint.”

I grimaced. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“Eventually, it will answer itself.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll just have to see for yourself,” he smiled. He had a beautiful smile. I couldn’t help but smile back. I need to slap myself, but I couldn’t because Nick was in the car. He doesn’t need to think me even weirder than I am. I let the smile fade when I turned away from him.

We sat in comfortable silence again. I started to go through all the restaurants I knew in town and dismissing the ones that where in the opposite direction in which we were going. My answer still was not found. So then I started to think of what I knew of Nick. That was not much.

“Tell me about yourself, Nick?” Another question that just seem to blurt out.

He seemed taken back by this, but he fixed himself. “My name is Nick Triste. I grew up in California. I moved out here when I was seventeen. I favor-”

“Where is here?” I cut him off.

“Vanessa, we’re still in-” my scream cutting him off. He swerved to the side, avoiding the object that stood in the middle of the street. Stupid animals.

“Are you okay?” I asked first.

“Yeah,” he gasped. “You?”

“Yeah. What was that thing?” I breathing hard.

“I have no idea; it looked like a fox,” he shrugged.

“Foxes don’t walk on two legs, Nick.”

“You think it was human?” We were both confused about what we saw. We were both anxious. We were both hungry. Our stomachs growled at the same time. That eased the tension, so we both laughed.

“Nah, lets just go get dinner. Now back to what you were saying,” I suggested.

“Oh, yeah. My favorite color-” he started.

“No after that,” I cut him off again. He gave me a pleading look, but I wasn’t relenting.

“We never left Milford, Vanessa.”

Excitement took over me. “Really?! Oh my gosh, why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I didn’t see the point.,” he sympathized.

“Well, it’s a good thing to know, Nick.” I buzzing. I was on a high. I couldn’t believe I never left home. “Okay, I’m sorry. Please continue,” I urged.

“You sure? No more interruptions?” I shook my head no. “Okay. My favorite color is green.”

“Mine, too,” I chirped.

“I thought you agreed no more interruptions?”

I hung my head, and muttered: “I’m sorry.”

He laughed, “It’s okay. I love Italian food. I hate Chinese, Japanese, and Indian food. I too played soccer but never did get hurt. Guess I’m just a better player.” I threw him an aggravated glance. Arrogant. “I’m just joking.”

“We’ll just have to see about that now won’t we,” I proposed.

He smiled. I can tell he likes competition. “I guess so.”

I grinned. He spent the rest of the ride telling me all about himself. Where exactly he grew up, about his mom. His dad had left when he found out that Charlene, his mother, was pregnant. He told me where he went to school. He was about to tell me how he got into the profession he is in, but we had pulled up to a nice restaurant. It was called Carmelo’s.